The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-08-04
Charged With Barn Burning.

of yesterday and the day before in the trial
of the case Of the Commonwealth VS.. Pres
tor Johnson, colored, charged with having
burned the barn of Mr.. VIM. j. Glover
near Middlebrook in April last. A cloud
of witnesses were in attendance, and they
represented all ages and colors. Theyoung
est was perhaps not over twelve years.
whilst the oldest was venerable looking
white headed darkey who proudly pro-
claimed from the witness stand that he
was zone hundred and one years old and
goin' on one hundred and two" In addl-
tion to the parties summoned, large
number of the most prominent citizens OF
Middlebrook and vicinity were present,
and seemed deeply interested in the pro-
ceedings.
Meade f. White, Esq, conducted the
prosecution, and A. C. BraXton, ESQ.,,
represented the accused. The following
gentlemen composed the jury: Jas. w.
Crawford, w. T. Wright. Jno. A. Stuart,
b. +. Hildebrand. Jno. B. Shannon. Jno.
T. Pearson, r. Dickerson, l.. 2. Danger
field. E. O. Peale J. G. Gochenour. II. F.
Eakle, w. G. Hildebrand
The facts of the case as developed by
The testimony were substantially these
On Sunday night, April Sd, about l
O'Clock, or shortly afterwards, the large
barn of Mr.. VIM. B. Glover, near Middle
brook, valued with its contents, at be-
tween 80, 900 and So 900. was discovered to
be in flames. In short while number
of the neighbors gathered, including a
good many colored people, among whom
was the accused. The fire was known to
be of incend;ary origin, and steps were
taken to discover the perpetrators of the
crime. About the first clew were foot
prints III the soft earth leading from the
barn across the field to the road. The
impression had evidently been made by a
person running, and who had on pair of
new square-toed boots or shoes. Suspicion
attached to a colored man named Chas.
Venable, and pair of boots supposed to
be his property, was shortly afterwards
found hidden in the woods. The boots
| fitted the tracks exactly. Venable was ar
rested on Saturday following the burning,
and tried before Justice Gale. He at first
first denied any knowledge of the burning,
but afterwards declared that he had seen
| Preston johnson set fire to the barn, de-
scrbing with minuteness the way he held
the paper and matches. Upon this testi-
mony, a warrant was sworn out against
Johnson. Between 10 and IL o'clock on
Saturday night Constable Mcclure went
to Johnson's house and knocked at the
door, calling HIM by name. He heard
Johnson get out of bed and unbolt the
door, and the Constable pushed it open.
AS he did SO, johnson threw up his hands
and exclaimed, For God sake dom It kill
me' The constable told him he would
not hurt him, and that he had warrant
for his arrest. Before any statement as
to what tie warrant was for, Johnson
stated that he was innocent Of having
burned the barn. There had been great
excitement throughout the neighborhoOd
for several days, and strong threats of
lynching made. johnson had stated to
Mr.. Sam Goode the day before that some
one had connected his name with the
I burning. and he seemed alarmed less mob
violence should be visited upon him. Both
persons were sent on to the grand jury.
and SO strong was the feeling in the neigh
horhood that the officer had to employ
strategem to get them safely to Jail. From
the county Jail they were taken to Harri-
! sonburg, and held there until the excite
ment died out, when they were returned
to Staunton. Whilst in Harrisonburg,
! Venable stated to JohnSonS counsel that
he knew that johnson did not fire the
barn. Subsequently, whilst in the Staun-
ton Jail, he put his mark to a statement
completely generating Johnson, which
statement was read and explained to him
by MI. Braxton, and to which he swore in
the presence of Justice Harlan.
On the witness stand Venable told an
| other tale. He said that on the night of
the fire he met Johnson, who was not his
intimate friend, at the church. That I
johnson said to him that he intended to
burn Glover7S barn: that he left the
church and shortly afterwards met John
son running from Glover's barn, which
was then ablaze; that Johnson told him
he had set fire to it, and wished that
Glover and all his family were burned with
! it, that the statement made in the jail had
been made under promise of $25, and
| under the fear of threats, and that it was
false. On behalf Of the defence it was
oh Inv al Of Tal
son was at church on the night Of the fire;
| that he came out of the church and walked
with the crowd to his home, which was in
the opposite direction from the barn; that
Is or 20 minutes later, when the alarm
was sounded, he came from his home with
his coat On his arm, joined two OF three
men: went with theta and with the crowd
to the barn; remained there until the fire
was about out and returned home. 1t was
shown that it would have been impossible
| for him to have left the church, fired the
barn which was over half mile distant,
and returned to his home, by the time the
alarm was given.
On the other hand it was proven that
Chas. Venable had left the church in COM
|
pany with several others; that he had sep
| arated from them, and that he would have |
had time to reach the barn before the fire |
was discovered. A witness who had been
fellow prisoner of Venabe, testified that |
| he, Venable. had confessed to the burning
| of the barn, stating that he did it because
Mr.. Glover had mistreated girl in which |
he was interested.
On Wednesday evening the case was
submitted to the Jury without argument,
and at about 3 O'Clock they returned to the
| Court house with q verdict Of not guilty,
on both indictments. The jury was polled,
and responding aflirmatively to the ques-
tioh from the clerk. whether the verdict |
was correct the prisoner was discharged.
A CLEAR CASE OF BULL DOING. -
Last Thursday the corporation election
was held in Harrisonburg. Everything
progressed harmoniously until along to-
wards evening the crowd about the Court
house was stirred to its centre. Among
the converts to Democracy was a eOlored